1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of subscriber identity modules (SIMs), and more particularly to removing SIM-based usage restrictions from an information handling system via a service portal.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Mobile wireless broadband networks such as wireless wide area networks (WWANs) are evolving to support higher data rates, reduced latency and more extensive roaming and coverage. As these networks become more capable, they become increasingly relevant to information handling system customers and thus to suppliers of notebook and personal digital assistant (PDA) type information handling systems. Known mobile wireless broadband networks exploit a separate Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), which is a chip-based, electronic identity card that resides in a wireless device and stores the user's network authentication and subscriber information. There are a plurality of different types of SIM cards, where the term SIM applies to all variations of SIM cards. One example of a SIM card is a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM), which is used with wireless networks based on 3rd Generation Partnership (3GPP) and Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) telecommunications standards. Another example is a Removable User Identity Module (R-UIM). An advantage of an R-UIM is that it can be used interchangeably with Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access 2000 (CDMA2000) wireless networks. Another example is an internet protocol (IP) multimedia SIM (iSIM) used for multi-media enhanced 3GPP networks. Each SIM is uniquely identified by its International Circuit Card ID (ICCID) which is coupled to the subscriber's International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) for identification. In addition, the SIM stores network state information such as its current Location Area Identity (LAI) to facilitate wireless connectivity and generation of call detail records for billing. As a result, the SIM is not only responsible for enabling and controlling a subscriber's access to a wireless network, but also as a unique reference for tracking their wireless usage for billing.
A SIM architecture is capable of extending the functionality of a wireless device through a specified programming application program interface (API) known as the SIM Toolkit (STK). By providing a means to read and write to the data store of the SIM, the STK enables the SIM to initiate commands to establish an interactive exchange between a network application and the user. The functionality of the STK also includes control of access to the network, communication services, application behavior, the user interface, menu management, and accessory management. In addition, the STK can be utilized to remotely change certain SIM parameters using Over-the-Air Activation (OAA) messages that have been defined for activation, provisioning and the download of roaming network lists. These OAA messages typically make use of a distinct Teleservice riding over the Short Message Service (SMS) bearer data service. It is also known for mobile phone reference platforms to provide support for application programming environments based on the Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) platform or the Qualcomm Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless (BREW) platform, which enable multimedia capabilities.
Originally, SIM cards were intended to be removable so as to provide device independence and subscriber account portability by providing the means to logically decouple a subscription from a device. However, wireless carriers are now increasingly insisting on programmatically locking a particular device (e.g., a cellular phone or radio card) such that they only work with the SIMs they issue. This is typically done in an attempt to protect the carrier's cost of providing wireless devices at a discount as part of a service plan and to reduce account churn. Wireless carriers typically provide devices at a discount, and then make up the difference by requiring the customer to sign a multi-year contract promising to pay monthly service or to pay a penalty for early termination. Additionally, wireless carriers are increasingly considering and developing activation portals that are referred to as “walled gardens”. With a walled garden activation portal, a pre-activated SIM card is provided with a wireless device to a customer. The pre-activated card provides limited access to a secure portal where a customer can select a subscription plan (e.g. monthly, pre-paid, session, etc.), enter billing information, and then complete final card activation. The activation portal then interacts with the carrier's network infrastructure back-end to convey account provisioning instructions through the previously described APIs to the SIM.
However, information handling system manufacturers are moving to embed WWAN radios in notebook and other portable information handling systems. Thus, device-to-SIM locking becomes increasingly problematic for customers (especially large corporate or relationship customers) who often insist on carrier flexibility and choice. It is therefore desirable for information handling system manufacturers to encourage wireless carriers to drop their SIM locking requirement or to alternatively provide a simple device-to-SIM unlocking solution. One known method of unlocking a wireless device is for the subscriber to bring it to the carrier's retail store or service center. A service technician can then connect a vendor-specific serial cable to the device and use a software application which generates a master code or network code key to unlock the device. Another method is for the unlock code to be provided by the carrier by over-the-air (OTA) transmission. However, these approaches present attendant issues to information handling system manufacturers, and particularly to information handling system manufacturers that provide remotely-built-to-order information handling systems. For example, if the information handling system is remotely-supplied, the customer may be required to call customer support. If so, then customer support would need to be able to unlock the device. However, the manufacturer may not have the ability to generate a network code key or they may be unable to obtain a master code from the incumbent carrier. Furthermore, providing customers with a generic unlock code poses many practical issues.